LEDs are a desirable choice of light source in part because of their relatively small size, low power/current requirements, high speed, long life, robust packaging, variety of available output wavelengths, and compatibility with modern circuit boards. These characteristics may help explain their widespread use over the past few decades in a multitude of different end use applications. Improvements to LEDs continue to be made in the areas of efficiency, brightness, and output wavelength, further enlarging the scope of potential end-use applications.
LEDs are typically sold in a packaged form that includes an LED die or chip mounted on a metal header. The header has a reflective cup in which the LED die is mounted, and electrical leads connected to the LED die. The package further includes a molded transparent resin that encapsulates the LED die. The encapsulating resin typically has a nominally hemispherical front surface to partially collimate light emitted from the LED die.